Healthy Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce From Scratch

Is there anything more romantic than a big bowl of saucy pasta on Valentine’s Day?

Chocolate, maybe. But a bowl of pasta with this Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce all up on top is a pretty good second. 

And it’s a super healthy, easy to make pasta sauce FROM SCRATCH! Because if that doesn’t impress you V-Day date, I don’t know what will!

Oh, Valentine’s Day. I love it. It’s all things red and pink and chocolate and date-night pasta dinners in with the cheesiest of rom-coms.

Because Valentine’s Day isn’t Valentine’s Day without cheesy romantic comedies during a homemade pasta dinner and indulgent chocolatey dessert.

It’s also the one day where Joshua can’t argue my girly movie choices.

WHY I LOVE THIS TOMATO BASIL PASTA SAUCE RECIPE

This is my favourite (easy!! and delicious!!) recipe for tomato basil pasta sauce ever. This is a tasty yet oh-so simple sauce perfect for pouring over any noodle. I even use it as a pizza sauce and a dipping sauce.

And it’s made from scratch!  Which  means that I no longer have to drag Joshua into the kitchen to open store bought jars of spaghetti sauce anymore. (The lids of the jarred sauces are always on there SO tight!!)

It also means that it’s made with extra love stirred in. Yep – I am one of those people. 

This Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce is perfectly simple and fresh. And it’s truly delicious to my tastebuds – perfectly balanced, perfectly flavourful, perfectly vegan, gluten free and free of preservatives (!!!). And made with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, because how easy is that?! I keep it a little chunky for extra texture but you can’t puree it until smooth and silky, if that’s your thing.  

It’s SO worth the extra effort, friends!! Trust me. 

This sauce freezes really well too. I keep a batch or two stashed in the freezer for those nights when pasta is the only thing I feel like making for dinner or for when Valentine’s day rolls around.

Frozen sauce means less cooking time, which means more rom-com time! 

Tomato Basil Spaghetti Sauce

• Author: NOURISHED. the blog
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
• Yield: 6 cups

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups onions, chopped (about 1 large onion)
• 4 large cloves of garlic, minced or finely grated
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes and all their juices (I like the low sodium kind)
• 1 cup (lightly packed) basil, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar (preferable unrefined, organic sugar)

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Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-low heat.. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes until the onions are soft and tender.
2. Add the garlic, salt and red pepper flakes (if using) to the onions continuing to cook for another 5 minutes or so, stirring frequently, until garlic is very fragrant.
3. Add the tomatoes and basil. Stir well to incorporate. Bring sauce to a gentle boil then reduce and simmer for about 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until the sauce has reduced by about half.
4. When the sauce has reduced and thickened, add the vinegar and sugar and continue to simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Remove sauce from heat, season with additional salt or sugar.
6. Transfer to airtight mason jars or containers to store in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer.

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